The Book of James

Faith That Works

Lesson #6 for November 8, 2014

Scriptures: [James 2:14-26; Romans 3:27-28; Titus 2:14; 2 Corinthians 4:2; Romans 4:1-5; Joshua 2:1-21][i].

1.    This lesson is about the relationship between faith and works/deeds/actions. How many of us would be willing to have our most private lives spread out before the entire universe? It will happen! At that point, our greatest claims to faith will mean nothing if there are no accompanying works to match them. How do you feel about that?

2.    Read James 2:14ii. In this verse James threw down the gauntlet. As we know, many people have claimed that James and Paul are at odds over faith versus works.

3.    Read James 2:15-17iii; Romans 3:27-28iv; and Ephesians 2:8-9[v]. It is hard to dismiss the logic of James’s argument. Do we really believe that faith works? Does true faith always lead to actions? If we drive past someone in trouble or even someone begging for money, are we in effect saying: “Go in peace, God will provide”? Of course, we all recognize that none of us could begin to meet all the world’s needs. So, where do we draw the line?

4.    If we review the life of Jesus and especially His ministry, we find that most of the time He was helping one person at a time. (John 3-4vi) Is that supposed to be a pattern for us? It is interesting to compare James 2:16vii and Mark 5:34viii. When Jesus said to the healed woman, “Go in peace,” those words had real meaning!

5.    Is it true that when we do something out of love and faith, it makes that love and faith grow stronger? Does that imply that when we ignore an opportunity to do some good for a fellow human, our faith becomes weaker? Of course, James said that kind of faith is already dead!

6.    We do not want to come to the conclusion that somehow our good deeds will save us. That also would be a fatal mistake. There is nothing that we can do to earn our salvation.

7.    Read James 2:18ix. How would you respond to James in this verse? Is it true that the only way to have true Christ-like deeds and actions is by developing a faith relationship with Him? If we take a good look at the life of Jesus, do we want to be like Him?

8.    Can we separate faith and works? Obviously, many people have tried. Can you think of a situation in which your faith could grow while you were doing nothing? Can you think of a situation in which good works are not a result of faith? Or, would you agree with our Bible study guide suggesting that faith and works are like the two sides of a coin, you cannot have one without the other. Of course, we recognize that one side of the coin is called heads and the other side is what we call tails. In the same way, faith always leads the way; but, actions have to follow.

9.    What did Paul really think about works? Read Romans 2:13[x]; Ephesians 2:10xi; 1 Thessalonians 1:3xii; 1 Timothy 5:25xiii; and Titus 2:14xiv. Paul seemed to be suggesting that real faith will cause an “outworking” of good deeds. Paul thought that true faith would lead to works/deeds/action.

10.    How would you compare Jesus’s statement in Matthew 5:16xv? Is it possible for people to see our faith without actions? Read Galatians 2:16xvi. Paul was trying to make the case that there is nothing wrong with good works; but, they are never the means of salvation. Do you suppose that Paul as the former quintessential Pharisee understood that point?

If man cannot, by any of his good works, merit salvation, then it must be wholly of grace, received by man as a sinner because he receives and believes in Jesus. It is wholly a free gift. Justification by faith is placed beyond controversy. And all this controversy is ended, as soon as the matter is settled that the merits of fallen man in his good works can never procure eternal life for him.—Ellen G. White, MS 36 - 1890; Faith and Works, p. 20.0; 1888 812.2. Compare RH, March 11, 1890 par. 13.

11.    How would you feel if God gave you a huge long list of good deeds that you had to do in order to be saved? Would that be easier than exercising true faith?

12.    Is it really important to know the truth? Does the knowledge of truth make us savable? Read 2 Corinthians 4:2xvii; 1 Timothy 2:4xviii; James 5:19-20xix; 1 Peter 1:22xx; and 1 John 3:18-19xxi. Clearly, God wants each of us to seek after and to learn and to come to understand the truth. Don’t we believe that “to know God is to love Him”? If we get to know God, isn’t that at least a major step in the direction of faith?

13.    But, there is a warning in James 2:19xxii. Satan and all his associates once knew God very well; but, that did not save them from rebellion. So, what is the relationship between getting to know God, true faith, and actions? Could we end up like the Devil, “knowing” God and still be lost?

14.    James decided that the time had come to illustrate his point. Read James 2:21-25xxiii and compare Romans 4:1-5,22-24xxiv. Why do you suppose James picked Abraham as his example of faith? And why was Paul using the same illustration about Abraham? Paul made a very significant point in his accounting of the story of Abraham. He pointed out that Abraham was justified by faith before he was circumcised. (Romans 4:10xxv) In a time when Christians were having a huge argument about whether it was necessary to be circumcised in order to be a true Christian believer, (Acts 15xxvi) this was a very telling argument, especially against Jews who were demanding that everyone become a Jew before he could become a Christian.

15.    It is interesting to note that Paul followed up his argument in Romans 4:17-21xxvii with the same illustration of Abraham’s faith that James used. Was Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice the promised son just a comfortable “belief” in God? Or, did it require real sacrificial action? Compare Romans 4:17xxviii and Hebrews 11:17-19xxix. In Romans 4:21xxx, Paul said that Abraham is the definition of true faith. He believed that, if necessary, God could even raise Isaac back from the dead. (See Patriarchs and Prophets 154-155.)

16.    It is interesting to notice that in Revelation 14:4xxxi which is just a couple of verses before Revelation 14:6-12xxxii which Seventh-day Adventists claim as their key text, John recorded the statement that the people who are faithful and who follow the Lamb at the end of time will follow Him wherever He goes. And where did the Lamb go? He went to the cross. Does that imply that real faith may lead to some very serious action?

17.    Read James 2:22xxxiii in the King James Version or the New King James Version. It suggests that by working together with works, faith is thus made perfect. James used the same word for perfection that is used in Matthew 5:48xxxiv. That word really means mature, fully grown, even ripe. If we are to stand through the final events of this earth’s history, don’t we need a fully mature faith? What did Abraham say to Sarah when they got home?

18.    Can you think of an example from your own faith experience with Christianity where works built your faith?

19.    Read James 2:25xxxv. Compare Joshua 2:1-21; 6:25xxxvi; Hebrews 11:31xxxvii; and Matthew 1:5xxxviii. What do we know about the life of Rahab, the prostitute from Jericho?

All these events were known to the inhabitants of Jericho, and there were many who shared Rahab’s conviction, though they refused to obey it.—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 492.

20.    Was it fair that Rahab and all her family and relatives who got into her small house were saved because she did such a good job of lying? She ended up being an ancestor of Jesus. And she is one of those fantastic women mentioned in Matthew 1 including Tamar, Ruth, and Bathsheba. Why did those women make the “honor roll”?

21.    Read James 2:26xxxix. Is this a fair evaluation of the relationship between faith and works? Is it really true that if your faith does not work, it is dead? It is certainly true that a body that has no breath is dead. (Compare Hebrews 6:1; 9:14xl.)

22.    Why did James pick Abraham and Rahab as his best two examples of faith? Could he have chosen two apparently more extreme cases-the father of the faithful and a Canaanite female prostitute?

When self is put entirely away, then you can obtain a new and rich experience, you will discern your own imperfections as you lie low at the foot of the cross, and as you view the perfections of Christ, self will sink into insignificance.

Christ will appear to the discerning eye the perfection of attractive loveliness; then His mould will be upon mind and heart, and will be revealed in the character. The impress of the divine mind should be made upon the heart, and manifested in the life. Come to Jesus in your need, pray in living faith, hold fast to the hand of divine power, believe, only believe, and you will see the salvation of God. If you will be taught, God will teach you; if you will be led, He will lead you to fountains of living waters.”-Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Southern Africa, p. 26.

23.    So, what are we to conclude? What is the relationship between faith and works? Do we need to establish some kind of balance between faith and works?

Faith and works are the two oars with which we are to make our way in the Christian life. The Lord calls upon all who think they know what faith is, to be sure that they are not pulling with only one oar, and their little bark going round and round, making no progress at all. Faith without intelligent works is dead. Faith in the healing power of God will not save unless it is combined with good works. (MS 86, 1897, p. 12, “Health Reform Principles,” August 25, 1897, from “Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, N.S.W., Australia; 5MR 124.1; GosHealth, January 1, 1898 par. 1; AUCR, October 15, 1905 par. 1; 20MR 8.2) [Bold type is added.]

24.    It is great that Abraham and Rahab are our examples of true faith. Did God pick them? But, it is interesting that apart from the original stories, the Bible does not mention the lying of Abraham or Rahab or Abraham’s lack of faith in taking Hagar and giving birth to Ishmael. Does that teach us anything about the forgiveness of God as mentioned in Jeremiah 31:3134 which is, in turn, quoted several times in the New Testament?

25.    Now, it is quiz time. Is there a difference between works as an outward sign of faith and works as an outworking of faith? What is the relationship between faith and love? Read Galatians 3:10xli. Is it true that no one who tries to be saved by keeping the law actually succeeds in keeping it?

26.    Many of us have been Christians all our lives and are probably still struggling with the exact relationship between faith and works. This may be partly because of the apparent contrast between Paul and James as mentioned by Martin Luther. Or, could it be that we have not tried hard enough to understand the relationship ourselves?

27.    Could one have real agape love and still ignore the needs of people around her/him? There is a famous song of the Beatles from many years ago suggesting that “All You Need Is Love.” Is that true?

28.    In biblical times, real works from a Jewish point of view meant first of all being circumcised. The Jews had some reasons to believe this. See Genesis 17:10-14xlii and Exodus 12:48xliii. They also could point to many verses suggesting that to have their sins forgiven, they just needed to offer a lamb at the temple. (See Leviticus 1:4; 4:20,26,35; 5:6; 6:7xliv; etc.) No doubt, they quoted these passages and thought that they had an airtight case for circumcision and traditional sacrifice. But, Paul, the formerly quintessential Pharisee, saw things very differently.

29.    And what about us? Do we have any “badges of righteousness”? By carefully observing the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday and by avoiding things like tobacco, alcohol, and harmful drugs and by living fairly clean, abstemious lives, do we believe we have earned our salvation? Would we dare to say that we are proud of our Seventh-day Adventism?

30.    But, we must remember that Abraham, the father of the faithful, had faith and was credited with righteousness before he was circumcised. (Romans 4:10xlv) And it was only sometime later that he had the promised son.

31.    Could the following passage possibly describe some of us?

The same evil spirit that tempted Christ in the wilderness, and that possessed the maniac of Capernaum, controlled the unbelieving Jews. But with them he assumed an air of piety, seeking to deceive them as to their motives in rejecting the Saviour. Their condition was more hopeless than that of the demoniac, for they felt no need of Christ and were therefore held fast under the power of Satan.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 256.

32.    When Jesus chose His 12-11 plus Judas-disciples, do you think any of them had the faintest idea that most of them would end up as martyrs? While Abraham is often cited as a paragon of faith, Jesus was certainly a better One. (See Hebrews 2:10; 5:8-9xlvi.) And who could deny the fact that we are supposed to follow Him? (1 Peter 2:21-24xlvii; 1 John 2:6xlviii)

33.    In previous lessons, we have suggested that our relationship with God, sometimes called faith, grows when we allow the Holy Spirit to come into our lives and change us. If the Holy Spirit does that, does it also affect our actions? (Romans 8:13-14xlix; Titus 3:5-8[l]) How do you understand these verses? Paul seemed to clearly believe that what he had to say was the truth. Don’t we want to be put right with God in that most important relationship called faith? And don’t we believe that faith is ultimately the only requirement for salvation? (See Acts 16:31li.) So, what should we do next? How can we grow our faith/works?

© 2014, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged.    Info@.theox.org

i-James 2:14 My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you? 15 Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat. 16 What good is there in your saying to them, "God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!" - if you don't give them the necessities of life? 17 So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead. 18 But someone will say, "One person has faith, another has actions." My answer is, "Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions." 19 Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe - and tremble with fear. 20 You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless? 21 How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar. 22 Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions. 23 And the scripture came true that said, "Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous." And so Abraham was called God's friend. 24 You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone. 25 It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road. 26 So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead.

Romans 3:27 What, then, can we boast about? Nothing! And what is the reason for this? Is it that we obey the Law? No, but that we believe. 28 For we conclude that a person is put right with God only through faith, and not by doing what the Law commands.

Titus 2:14 He gave himself for us, to rescue us from all wickedness and to make us a pure people who belong to him alone and are eager to do good.

2 Corinthians 4:2 We put aside all secret and shameful deeds; we do not act with deceit, nor do we falsify the word of God. In the full light of truth we live in God's sight and try to commend ourselves to everyone's good conscience.

Romans 4:1 What shall we say, then, of Abraham, the father of our race? What was his experience? 2 If he was put right with God by the things he did, he would have something to boast about - but not in God's sight. 3 The scripture says, "Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous." 4 A person who works is paid wages, but they are not regarded as a gift; they are something that has been earned. 5 But those who depend on faith, not on deeds, and who believe in the God who declares the guilty to be innocent, it is this faith that God takes into account in order to put them right with himself.

Joshua 2:1 Then Joshua sent two spies from the camp at Acacia with orders to go and secretly explore the land of Canaan, especially the city of Jericho. When they came to the city, they went to spend the night in the house of a prostitute named Rahab. 2 The king of Jericho heard that some Israelites had come that night to spy out the country, 3 so he sent word to Rahab: "The men in your house have come to spy out the whole country! Bring them out!" 4 "Some men did come to my house," she answered, "but I don't know where they were from. They left at sundown before the city gate was closed. I didn't find out where they were going, but if you start after them quickly, you can catch them." (Now Rahab had taken the two spies up on the roof and hidden them under some stalks of flax that she had put there.) 7 The king's men left the city, and then the gate was shut. They went looking for the Israelite spies as far as the place where the road crosses the Jordan. 8 Before the spies settled down for the night, Rahab went up on the roof 9 and said to them, "I know that the Lord has given you this land. Everyone in the country is terrified of you. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea in front of you when you were leaving Egypt. We have also heard how you killed Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan. 11 We were afraid as soon as we heard about it; we have all lost our courage because of you. The Lord your God is God in heaven above and here on earth. 12 Now swear by him that you will treat my family as kindly as I have treated you, and give me some sign that I can trust you. 13 Promise me that you will save my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families! Don't let us be killed!" 14 The men said to her, "May God take our lives if we don't do as we say! If you do not tell anyone what we have been doing, we promise you that when the Lord gives us this land, we will treat you well." 15 Rahab lived in a house built into the city wall, so she let the men down from the window by a rope. 16 "Go into the hill country," she said, "or the king's men will find you. Hide there for three days until they come back. After that, you can go on your way." 17 The men said to her, "We will keep the promise that you have made us give. 18 This is what you must do. When we invade your land, tie this red cord to the window you let us down from. Get your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's family together in your house. 19 If anyone goes out of the house, his death will be his own fault, and we will not be responsible; but if anyone in the house with you is harmed, then we will be responsible. 20 However, if you tell anyone what we have been doing, then we will not have to keep our promise which you have made us give you." 21 She agreed and sent them away. When they had gone, she tied the red cord to the window.

ii-James 2:14 My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you?

iii-James 2:15 Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat. 16 What good is there in your saying to them, "God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!" - if you don't give them the necessities of life? 17 So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.

iv-Romans 3:27 What, then, can we boast about? Nothing! And what is the reason for this? Is it that we obey the Law? No, but that we believe. 28 For we conclude that a person is put right with God only through faith, and not by doing what the Law commands.

v-Ephesians 2:8 For it is by God's grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, 9 but God's gift, so that no one can boast about it.

vi-John 3:1 There was a Jewish leader named Nicodemus, who belonged to the party of the Pharisees. 2 One night he went to Jesus and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher sent by God. No one could perform the miracles you are doing unless God were with him." 3 Jesus answered, "I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again." 4 "How can a grown man be born again?" Nicodemus asked. "He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!" 5 "I am telling you the truth," replied Jesus, "that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit. 7 Do not be surprised because I tell you that you must all be born again. 8 The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit." 9 "How can this be?" asked Nicodemus. 10 Jesus answered, "You are a great teacher in Israel, and you don't know this? 11 I am telling you the truth: we speak of what we know and report what we have seen, yet none of you is willing to accept our message. 12 You do not believe me when I tell you about the things of this world; how will you ever believe me, then, when I tell you about the things of heaven? 13 And no one has ever gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from heaven." 14 As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the desert, in the same way the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior. 18 Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God's only Son. 19 This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. 20 Those who do evil things hate the light and will not come to the light, because they do not want their evil deeds to be shown up. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God. 22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the province of Judea, where he spent some time with them and baptized. 23 John also was baptizing in Aenon, not far from Salim, because there was plenty of water in that place. People were going to him, and he was baptizing them 24 (This was before John had been put in prison.) 25 Some of John's disciples began arguing with a Jew about the matter of ritual washing. 26 So they went to John and told him, "Teacher, you remember the man who was with you on the east side of the Jordan, the one you spoke about? Well, he is baptizing now, and everyone is going to him!" 27 John answered, "No one can have anything unless God gives it. 28 You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, "I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.' 29 The bridegroom is the one to whom the bride belongs; but the bridegroom's friend, who stands by and listens, is glad when he hears the bridegroom's voice. This is how my own happiness is made complete. 30 He must become more important while I become less important." 31 He who comes from above is greater than all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly matters, but he who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He tells what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his message. 33 But whoever accepts his message confirms by this that God is truthful. 34 The one whom God has sent speaks God's words, because God gives him the fullness of his Spirit. 35 The Father loves his Son and has put everything in his power. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life, but will remain under God's punishment.

John 4:1 (The Pharisees heard that Jesus was winning and baptizing more disciples than John 2 Actually, Jesus himself did not baptize anyone; only his disciples did.) 3 So when Jesus heard what was being said, he left Judea and went back to Galilee; 4 on his way there he had to go through Samaria. 5 In Samaria he came to a town named Sychar, which was not far from the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by the trip, sat down by the well. It was about noon. 7 (A Samaritan woman came to draw some water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink of water. 8 His disciples had gone into town to buy food.) 9 The woman answered, "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan - so how can you ask me for a drink?" (Jews will not use the same cups and bowls that Samaritans use.) 10 Jesus answered, "If you only knew what God gives and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would ask him, and he would give you life-giving water." 11 "Sir," the woman said, "you don't have a bucket, and the well is deep. Where would you get that life-giving water? 12 It was our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well; he and his children and his flocks all drank from it. You don't claim to be greater than Jacob, do you?" 13 Jesus answered, "Those who drink this water will get thirsty again, 14 but those who drink the water that I will give them will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give them will become in them a spring which will provide them with life-giving water and give them eternal life." 15 "Sir," the woman said, "give me that water! Then I will never be thirsty again, nor will I have to come here to draw water." 16 "Go and call your husband," Jesus told her, "and come back." 17 "I don't have a husband," she answered. Jesus replied, "You are right when you say you don't have a husband. 18 You have been married to five men, and the man you live with now is not really your husband. You have told me the truth." 19 "I see you are a prophet, sir," the woman said. 20 "My Samaritan ancestors worshiped God on this mountain, but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where we should worship God." 21 Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman, the time will come when people will not worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans do not really know whom you worship; but we Jews know whom we worship, because it is from the Jews that salvation comes. 23 But the time is coming and is already here, when by the power of God's Spirit people will worship the Father as he really is, offering him the true worship that he wants. 24 God is Spirit, and only by the power of his Spirit can people worship him as he really is." 25 The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah will come, and when he comes, he will tell us everything." 26 Jesus answered, "I am he, I who am talking with you." 27 At that moment Jesus' disciples returned, and they were greatly surprised to find him talking with a woman. But none of them said to her, "What do you want?" or asked him, "Why are you talking with her?" 28 Then the woman left her water jar, went back to the town, and said to the people there, 29 "Come and see the man who told me everything I have ever done. Could he be the Messiah?" 30 So they left the town and went to Jesus. 31 In the meantime the disciples were begging Jesus, "Teacher, have something to eat!" 32 But he answered, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." 33 So the disciples started asking among themselves, "Could somebody have brought him food?" 34 "My food," Jesus said to them, "is to obey the will of the one who sent me and to finish the work he gave me to do. 35 You have a saying, "Four more months and then the harvest.' But I tell you, take a good look at the fields; the crops are now ripe and ready to be harvested! 36 The one who reaps the harvest is being paid and gathers the crops for eternal life; so the one who plants and the one who reaps will be glad together. 37 For the saying is true, "Someone plants, someone else reaps.' 38 I have sent you to reap a harvest in a field where you did not work; others worked there, and you profit from their work." 39 Many of the Samaritans in that town believed in Jesus because the woman had said, "He told me everything I have ever done." 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they begged him to stay with them, and Jesus stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of his message, 42 and they told the woman, "We believe now, not because of what you said, but because we ourselves have heard him, and we know that he really is the Savior of the world." 43 After spending two days there, Jesus left and went to Galilee. 44 For he himself had said, "Prophets are not respected in their own country." 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the people there welcomed him, because they had gone to the Passover Festival in Jerusalem and had seen everything that he had done during the festival. 46 Then Jesus went back to Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. A government official was there whose son was sick in Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to go to Capernaum and heal his son, who was about to die. 48 Jesus said to him, "None of you will ever believe unless you see miracles and wonders." 49 "Sir," replied the official, "come with me before my child dies." 50 Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live!" The man believed Jesus' words and went. 51 On his way home his servants met him with the news, "Your boy is going to live!" 52 He asked them what time it was when his son got better, and they answered, "It was one o'clock yesterday afternoon when the fever left him." 53 Then the father remembered that it was at that very hour when Jesus had told him, "Your son will live." So he and all his family believed. 54 This was the second miracle that Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.

vii-James 2:16 What good is there in your saying to them, "God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!" - if you don't give them the necessities of life?

viii-Mark 5:34 Jesus said to her, "My daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your trouble."

ix-James 2:18 But someone will say, "One person has faith, another has actions." My answer is, "Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions."

x-Romans 2:13 For it is not by hearing the Law that people are put right with God, but by doing what the Law commands.

xi-Ephesians 2:10 God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do.

xii-1 Thessalonians 1:3 For we remember before our God and Father how you put your faith into practice, how your love made you work so hard, and how your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ is firm.

xiii-1 Timothy 5:25 In the same way good deeds are plainly seen, and even those that are not so plain cannot be hidden.

xiv-Titus 2:14 He gave himself for us, to rescue us from all wickedness and to make us a pure people who belong to him alone and are eager to do good.

xv-Matthew 5:16 In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.

xvi-Galatians 2:16 Yet we know that a person is put right with God only through faith in Jesus Christ, never by doing what the Law requires. We, too, have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be put right with God through our faith in Christ, and not by doing what the Law requires. For no one is put right with God by doing what the Law requires.

xvii-2 Corinthians 4:2 We put aside all secret and shameful deeds; we do not act with deceit, nor do we falsify the word of God. In the full light of truth we live in God's sight and try to commend ourselves to everyone's good conscience.

xviii-1 Timothy 2:4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to know the truth.

xix-James 5:19 My friends, if any of you wander away from the truth and another one brings you back again, 20 remember this: whoever turns a sinner back from the wrong way will save that sinner's soul from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.

xx-1 Peter 1:22 Now that by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves and have come to have a sincere love for other believers, love one another earnestly with all your heart.

xxi-1 John 3:18 My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action. 19 This, then, is how we will know that we belong to the truth; this is how we will be confident in God's presence.

xxii-James 2:19 Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe - and tremble with fear.

xxiii-James 2:21 How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar. 22 Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions. 23 And the scripture came true that said, "Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous." And so Abraham was called God's friend. 24 You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone. 25 It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road.

xxiv-Romans 4:1 What shall we say, then, of Abraham, the father of our race? What was his experience? 2 If he was put right with God by the things he did, he would have something to boast about - but not in God's sight. 3 The scripture says, "Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous." 4 A person who works is paid wages, but they are not regarded as a gift; they are something that has been earned. 5 But those who depend on faith, not on deeds, and who believe in the God who declares the guilty to be innocent, it is this faith that God takes into account in order to put them right with himself. 22 That is why Abraham, through faith, "was accepted as righteous by God." 23 The words "he was accepted as righteous" were not written for him alone. 24 They were written also for us who are to be accepted as righteous, who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from death.

xxv-Romans 4:10 When did this take place? Was it before or after Abraham was circumcised? It was before, not after.

xxvi-Acts 15:1 Some men came from Judea to Antioch and started teaching the believers, "You cannot be saved unless you are circumcised as the Law of Moses requires." 2 Paul and Barnabas got into a fierce argument with them about this, so it was decided that Paul and Barnabas and some of the others in Antioch should go to Jerusalem and see the apostles and elders about this matter. 3 They were sent on their way by the church; and as they went through Phoenicia and Samaria, they reported how the Gentiles had turned to God; this news brought great joy to all the believers. 4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, to whom they told all that God had done through them. 5 But some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and told to obey the Law of Moses." 6 The apostles and the elders met together to consider this question. 7 After a long debate Peter stood up and said, "My friends, you know that a long time ago God chose me from among you to preach the Good News to the Gentiles, so that they could hear and believe. 8 And God, who knows the thoughts of everyone, showed his approval of the Gentiles by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he had to us. 9 He made no difference between us and them; he forgave their sins because they believed. 10 So then, why do you now want to put God to the test by laying a load on the backs of the believers which neither our ancestors nor we ourselves were able to carry? 11 No! We believe and are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are." 12 The whole group was silent as they heard Barnabas and Paul report all the miracles and wonders that God had performed through them among the Gentiles. 13 When they had finished speaking, James spoke up: "Listen to me, my friends! 14 Simon has just explained how God first showed his care for the Gentiles by taking from among them a people to belong to him. 15 The words of the prophets agree completely with this. As the scripture says, 16 "After this I will return, says the Lord, and restore the kingdom of David. I will rebuild its ruins and make it strong again. 17 And so all the rest of the human race will come to me, all the Gentiles whom I have called to be my own. 18 So says the Lord, who made this known long ago.' 19 "It is my opinion," James went on, "that we should not trouble the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead, we should write a letter telling them not to eat any food that is ritually unclean because it has been offered to idols; to keep themselves from sexual immorality; and not to eat any animal that has been strangled, or any blood. 21 For the Law of Moses has been read for a very long time in the synagogues every Sabbath, and his words are preached in every town." 22 Then the apostles and the elders, together with the whole church, decided to choose some men from the group and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose two men who were highly respected by the believers, Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas, 23 and they sent the following letter by them: "We, the apostles and the elders, your brothers, send greetings to all our brothers of Gentile birth who live in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. 24 We have heard that some who went from our group have troubled and upset you by what they said; they had not, however, received any instruction from us. 25 And so we have met together and have all agreed to choose some messengers and send them to you. They will go with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, 26 who have risked their lives in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We send you, then, Judas and Silas, who will tell you in person the same things we are writing. 28 The Holy Spirit and we have agreed not to put any other burden on you besides these necessary rules: 29 eat no food that has been offered to idols; eat no blood; eat no animal that has been strangled; and keep yourselves from sexual immorality. You will do well if you take care not to do these things. With our best wishes." 30 The messengers were sent off and went to Antioch, where they gathered the whole group of believers and gave them the letter. 31 When the people read it, they were filled with joy by the message of encouragement. 32 Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, spoke a long time with them, giving them courage and strength. 33 After spending some time there, they were sent off in peace by the believers and went back to those who had sent them. 35 Paul and Barnabas spent some time in Antioch, and together with many others they taught and preached the word of the Lord. 36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the believers in every town where we preached the word of the Lord, and let us find out how they are getting along." 37 Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them, 38 but Paul did not think it was right to take him, because he had not stayed with them to the end of their mission, but had turned back and left them in Pamphylia. 39 There was a sharp argument, and they separated: Barnabas took Mark and sailed off for Cyprus, 40 while Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the care of the Lord's grace. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

xxvii-Romans 4:17 as the scripture says, "I have made you father of many nations." So the promise is good in the sight of God, in whom Abraham believed - the God who brings the dead to life and whose command brings into being what did not exist. 18 Abraham believed and hoped, even when there was no reason for hoping, and so became "the father of many nations." Just as the scripture says, "Your descendants will be as many as the stars." 19 He was then almost one hundred years old; but his faith did not weaken when he thought of his body, which was already practically dead, or of the fact that Sarah could not have children. 20 His faith did not leave him, and he did not doubt God's promise; his faith filled him with power, and he gave praise to God. 21 He was absolutely sure that God would be able to do what he had promised.

xxviii-Romans 4:17 as the scripture says, "I have made you father of many nations." So the promise is good in the sight of God, in whom Abraham believed - the God who brings the dead to life and whose command brings into being what did not exist.

xxix-Hebrews 11:17 It was faith that made Abraham offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice when God put Abraham to the test. Abraham was the one to whom God had made the promise, yet he was ready to offer his only son as a sacrifice. 18 God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that you will have the descendants I promised." 19 Abraham reckoned that God was able to raise Isaac from death - and, so to speak, Abraham did receive Isaac back from death.

xxx-Romans 4:21 He was absolutely sure that God would be able to do what he had promised.

xxxi-Revelation 14:4 They are the men who have kept themselves pure by not having sexual relations with women; they are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been redeemed from the rest of the human race and are the first ones to be offered to God and to the Lamb.

xxxii-Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying high in the air, with an eternal message of Good News to announce to the peoples of the earth, to every race, tribe, language, and nation. 7 He said in a loud voice, "Honor God and praise his greatness! For the time has come for him to judge all people. Worship him who made heaven, earth, sea, and the springs of water!" 8 A second angel followed the first one, saying, "She has fallen! Great Babylon has fallen! She made all peoples drink her wine - the strong wine of her immoral lust!" 9 A third angel followed the first two, saying in a loud voice, "Those who worship the beast and its image and receive the mark on their forehead or on their hand 10 will themselves drink God's wine, the wine of his fury, which he has poured at full strength into the cup of his anger! All who do this will be tormented in fire and sulfur before the holy angels and the Lamb. 11 The smoke of the fire that torments them goes up forever and ever. There is no relief day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, for anyone who has the mark of its name." 12 This calls for endurance on the part of God's people, those who obey God's commandments and are faithful to Jesus.

xxxiii-James 2:22 Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions.

xxxiv-Matthew 5:48 You must be perfect - just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

xxxv-James 2:25 It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road.

xxxvi-Joshua 2:1 Then Joshua sent two spies from the camp at Acacia with orders to go and secretly explore the land of Canaan, especially the city of Jericho. When they came to the city, they went to spend the night in the house of a prostitute named Rahab. 2 The king of Jericho heard that some Israelites had come that night to spy out the country, 3 so he sent word to Rahab: "The men in your house have come to spy out the whole country! Bring them out!" 4 "Some men did come to my house," she answered, "but I don't know where they were from. They left at sundown before the city gate was closed. I didn't find out where they were going, but if you start after them quickly, you can catch them." (Now Rahab had taken the two spies up on the roof and hidden them under some stalks of flax that she had put there.) 7 The king's men left the city, and then the gate was shut. They went looking for the Israelite spies as far as the place where the road crosses the Jordan. 8 Before the spies settled down for the night, Rahab went up on the roof 9 and said to them, "I know that the Lord has given you this land. Everyone in the country is terrified of you. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea in front of you when you were leaving Egypt. We have also heard how you killed Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan. 11 We were afraid as soon as we heard about it; we have all lost our courage because of you. The Lord your God is God in heaven above and here on earth. 12 Now swear by him that you will treat my family as kindly as I have treated you, and give me some sign that I can trust you. 13 Promise me that you will save my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families! Don't let us be killed!" 14 The men said to her, "May God take our lives if we don't do as we say! If you do not tell anyone what we have been doing, we promise you that when the Lord gives us this land, we will treat you well." 15 Rahab lived in a house built into the city wall, so she let the men down from the window by a rope. 16 "Go into the hill country," she said, "or the king's men will find you. Hide there for three days until they come back. After that, you can go on your way." 17 The men said to her, "We will keep the promise that you have made us give. 18 This is what you must do. When we invade your land, tie this red cord to the window you let us down from. Get your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's family together in your house. 19 If anyone goes out of the house, his death will be his own fault, and we will not be responsible; but if anyone in the house with you is harmed, then we will be responsible. 20 However, if you tell anyone what we have been doing, then we will not have to keep our promise which you have made us give you." 21 She agreed and sent them away. When they had gone, she tied the red cord to the window.

Joshua 6:25 But Joshua spared the lives of the prostitute Rahab and all her relatives, because she had hidden the two spies that he had sent to Jericho. (Her descendants have lived in Israel to this day.

xxxvii-Hebrews 11:31 It was faith that kept the prostitute Rahab from being killed with those who disobeyed God, for she gave the Israelite spies a friendly welcome.

xxxviii-Matthew 1:5 and Salmon the father of Bo'az by Rahab, and Bo'az the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,

xxxix-James 2:26 So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead.

xl-Hebrews 6:1 Let us go forward, then, to mature teaching and leave behind us the first lessons of the Christian message. We should not lay again the foundation of turning away from useless works and believing in God;

Hebrews 9:14 Since this is true, how much more is accomplished by the blood of Christ! Through the eternal Spirit he offered himself as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will purify our consciences from useless rituals, so that we may serve the living God.

xli-Galatians 3:10 Those who depend on obeying the Law live under a curse. For the scripture says, "Whoever does not always obey everything that is written in the book of the Law is under God's curse!"

xlii-Genesis 17:10 You and your descendants must all agree to circumcise every male among you. 11 From now on you must circumcise every baby boy when he is eight days old, including slaves born in your homes and slaves bought from foreigners. This will show that there is a covenant between you and me. 13 Each one must be circumcised, and this will be a physical sign to show that my covenant with you is everlasting. 14 Any male who has not been circumcised will no longer be considered one of my people, because he has not kept the covenant with me."

xliii-Exodus 12:48 but no uncircumcised man may eat it. If a foreigner has settled among you and wants to celebrate Passover to honor the Lord, you must first circumcise all the males of his household. He is then to be treated like a native-born Israelite and may join in the festival.

xliv-Leviticus 1:4 You shall put your hand on its head, and it will be accepted as a sacrifice to take away your sins.

Leviticus 4:20 He shall do the same thing with this bull as he does with the bull for the sin offering, and in this way he shall make the sacrifice for the people's sin, and they will be forgiven. 26 Then he shall burn all of its fat on the altar, just as he burns the fat of the animals killed for the fellowship offerings. In this way the priest shall offer the sacrifice for the sin of the ruler, and he will be forgiven. 35 Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat is removed from the sheep killed for the fellowship offerings, and he shall burn it on the altar along with the food offerings given to the Lord. In this way the priest shall offer the sacrifice for your sin, and you will be forgiven.

Leviticus 5:6 and as the penalty for your sin you must bring to the Lord a female sheep or goat as an offering. The priest shall offer the sacrifice for your sin.

Leviticus 6:7 The priest shall offer the sacrifice for your sin, and you will be forgiven.

xlv-Romans 4:10 When did this take place? Was it before or after Abraham was circumcised? It was before, not after.

xlvi-Hebrews 2:10 It was only right that God, who creates and preserves all things, should make Jesus perfect through suffering, in order to bring many children to share his glory. For Jesus is the one who leads them to salvation.

Hebrews 5:8 But even though he was God's Son, he learned through his sufferings to be obedient. 9 When he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him,

xlvii-1 Peter 2:21 It was to this that God called you, for Christ himself suffered for you and left you an example, so that you would follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, and no one ever heard a lie come from his lips. 23 When he was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but placed his hopes in God, the righteous Judge. 24 Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. It is by his wounds that you have been healed.

xlviii-1 John 2:6 if we say that we remain in union with God, we should live just as Jesus Christ did.

xlix-Romans 8:13 For if you live according to your human nature, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you put to death your sinful actions, you will live. 14 Those who are led by God's Spirit are God's children.

l-Titus 3:5 he saved us. It was not because of any good deeds that we ourselves had done, but because of his own mercy that he saved us, through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth and new life by washing us. 6 God poured out the Holy Spirit abundantly on us through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that by his grace we might be put right with God and come into possession of the eternal life we hope for. 8 This is a true saying. I want you to give special emphasis to these matters, so that those who believe in God may be concerned with giving their time to doing good deeds, which are good and useful for everyone.

li-Acts 16:31 They answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your family."

Table of Contents

i

ii

iii

iv

v

vi

vii

viii

ix

x

xi

xii

xiii

xiv

xv

xvi

xvii

xviii

xix

xx

xxi

xxii

xxiii

xxiv

xxv

xxvi

xxvii

xxviii

xxix

xxx

xxxi

xxxii

xxxiii

xxxiv

xxxv

xxxvi

xxxvii

xxxviii

xxxix

xl

xli

xlii

xliii

xliv

xlv

xlvi

xlvii

xlviii

xlix

l